Plum planning retail development at former borough building site

As Plum prepares to move into the borough’s new municipal center, it already has plans for the redevelopment of the building and property it is moving out of.

The borough will take its plans for a retail development on the almost 14-acre site, The Shops at Plum Creek, to its planning commission for review, Borough Manager Michael Thomas said.

While the borough is moving its offices, including its police department, to the new center on Old Mine Road, it is maintaining ownership of the former site on New Texas Road.

Development will be done through a public-private partnership, Thomas said.

The property consists of four lots that would be combined.

One of the four is a vacant lot at Leechburg and New Texas roads, across from Nesbit’s Lanes and beside the soon-to-be former borough building. The borough bought the 1.4-acre parcel for $240,000 plus closing costs, with the sale closing in September.

It also includes the building now occupied by the Plum Municipal Authority. Thomas said the authority owns its building but not much land around it.

While there are plans for the authority to move into a new building near the new municipal center, it isn’t known when that would happen, authority manager Howard Theis said.

Concept designs for the site include a gas station, convenience store, small grocery, restaurant and flexible retail space, Thomas said.

Thomas and Mayor Harry Schlegel said there’s a need for retail development, most notably a grocery store, in that area of Plum.

By maintaining ownership, Schlegel said the property could be a revenue generator and help defray the cost of the new development.

Thomas said the borough has a developer lined up but would not identify it.

As part of the development, Thomas said, PennDOT might require that the three-way intersection of Leechburg and New Texas roads be turned into a roundabout.

A PennDOT spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.